Piston for steam driven pumps



March 28, 1944. KElTH 2,345,482

PISTON FOR STEAM DRIVEN PUMPS Filed June 26, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR,

E7166]; Cffiiik AITURNEYB March 28, 1944. c, rr 2,345,482

PISTON FOR STEAM DRIVEN PUMPS Filed June 26, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,345,4 2 PISTON FORSTEAM DRIVEN PUMPS Homer 0. Keith, Eliteno, Okla. Application June 26,1942, Serial No. 448,661

' and a nut 16 isthreadedly engaged on the re- 4 Claims.

Thi invention relates to pistons for steam driven pumps and has for anobject to provide a device for expanding worn packing as it is neededuntil it is worn down to the minimum,

thus saving expense and delay in repacking.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will beformed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will beinexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel detail of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it bein understood that variousmodifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a piston constructed in accordance withthe invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the piston shown in Figure 1 withportions cut away.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the piston shown in Figure1.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 oi! Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the packing expander sleeve.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the sleeve showing the wrench openings.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of the piston with one of the disksshown in edge elevation and with one half section of the companion diskremoved and the other half section of the companion disk broken away toshow the position of one of the expanders.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing the expander inadjusted position.

Figur 9 is a detail perspective view of the wrench for rotating theexpander sleeve.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, the piston comprises aplurality of disks ID, in the present embodiment of the invention two innumber, mounted upon a reduced portion ll of a. piston rod 12, betweenmetal plates l3. Fiber packing rings M are mounted upon the disks,preferably a pair of the packing rings being mounted upon each disk. Theplates l3 are slightly greater in diameter than the disks l0, andslightly smaller in diameter than the packing rings M. The rear platecontacts with a shoulder IS on the piston rod duced portion -ll of "thepiston rod and contacts with the front plate, to hold the several partsof the piston in assembled relation.

Each disk is of sectional formation, and the sections are ofsemicircular formation as shown at I! in Figure 4. The two sectionsofeach disk areconnected by tongue and groove joints indicated atlflinFigures 3, 4, -7 and'8, the joints being formed on the straightconfronting edges of the sections. 'The two sections of each disk areyieldably spring pressed toward each other through thei me'dium of apair'ofhelical springs l9 disposed in the face of respective grooves 20in the section and terminally connected to dowels 2| disposed at theopposite ends of each recess, see Figure 2.

The piston rod receiving axial openings 22 or the disks II] are taperedfor the reception of conical expander 23 which are threadedly engagedupon the ends of an expander sleeve 24, see Figure 5. The expandersleeve is provided at one end with a. right-hand thread 25 and at theother end is provided with a left-hand thread 26 so that when the sleeveis rotated on the reduced portion ll of the piston rod both expanderswill be moved toward or away from each other according to the directionor rotation of the sleeve. The sleeve is provided in one end withspanner wrench receiving openings 21, see Figure 6, to receive theprojections 28 of a spanner wrench 29, see Figure 9, for turning thesleeve on the reduced portion ll of the piston rod as an axis. When thesleeve is rotated in one direction the expanders 23 will be moved towardeach other and will spread apart the sections of the disks to increasethe diameter of the disks and force the packing rings I4 radiallyoutward to compensate for wear in the packing rings. The expanders areof frustrum shape.

To prevent the expanders from turning while being adjusted the expandersare equipp d with respective splines 30 which fit in grooves 3| formedin the walls of the expander receiving openings 22 of the disks ID, seeFigure 4. As also shown in this figure the expander receiving openings22 are of oval contour, the long axis of one opening being disposed at aright angle to the long axis of the other opening in respective disks,see Figure 3. Consequently one expander will expand the sections of itsrespective disk in a direction at a. right angle to the direction inwhich the other expander expands the sections or its respective disk.

To adjust the' expanders the nut l6 may be removed to expose the end ofthe sleeve 24 having the wrench openings 21 therein. The wrench may thenbe applied to rotate the sleeve and expand the sections of the disks toforce the packing rings l4 radially outward. Then the :nut I6 isreplaced to hold the various parts of the piston in assembled adjustedposition.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and.operation of the invention will be fully understood without furtherexplanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A piston Comprising a. piston rod having a shoulder and being ofreduced uniform diameter beyond the shoulder, metal plates onthereduced.

portion of the piston rod, disks mounted upon the 7 tion, meansyieldably holding the sections of each I packing ring urged toward eachother, said sections of each disk having tapered openings receiving thereduced portion of the piston rod, a sleeve loose on the reduced portionof the piston rod having a right-hand thread at one end and a left-handthread at the other end, expanders I of frustrum shape threadedlyengaged with the end portions of the sleeve adapted to be moved towardeachother in said openings of the disk when the sleeve is turned axiallyand expand the sections of the respective disks radially outward toincrease the diameter of the disks and compensate for wear on thepacking rings, and a nut on the reduced portion of the piston rodengaging one of said plates, the other of said plates engaged in saidshoulder, said nut holding the several parts of the piston in assembledrelation.

2. The structure as of claim 1 and in which said openings for receivingthe reduced portion of the piston rod are of oval contour, the long axisof one oval opening being disposed at a right angle to the long axis ofthe other opening to permit the sections of respective disks beingexpanded outwardly at'right angles relatively to each other.

3. The structure as of claim 1 and in which said sleeve is provided inone end with wrench receiving means to permit rotation of the sleevewith resultant adjustment of the expanders longitudinally of the sleeve.

4. A piston, comprising a piston rod, metal plates on the piston rod,disks mounted upon the piston rod between the metal plates and. of aslightly less diameter, packing rings on the disks and extending beyondthe plates, means yieldably holding the section of each packing ringurged towards each other, each section of each disk having taperedopenings receiving the piston rod, a sleeve loosely mounted on' thepiston rod within the tapering openings in the sections of the packingrings, expanders of frustrum shape threadedly engaged with the endportions of the sleeve adapted to move towards each other, and means forrotating said sleeve for moving the irustrum shaped expanders inopposite directions.

HOME-R C. KEITH.

